With 1700 Breweries already in the UK and a new one opening up every other day, plus the continued influx of international beers, how do you stand out from the crowd?

In an ideal world, the quality of your beer alone would sell itself and sustain your business. Unfortunately, in today's world of fickle consumers, conspicuous consumption, and countless brands, it takes more than that to become a success.

Surveying the current landscape, it's easy to see a number of standout success stories, but it's also critical to understand why others have failed. Replicating the business models of other successful brands is not the answer, but an understanding of the market and what you're up against is critical in understanding where your product sits.

If understanding why consumers buy craft beer is important, understanding why consumers buy your craft beer is essential. From quality to locality to perception and everything in between, only you and your brand can truly identify and communicate your USP -- and align it to consumer choice in the clearest and simplest way possible. A strong brand and message effectively communicates your core values, appealing directly to your target market.

An integral part of your brand is your personality. Take BrewDog for example - bold, disruptive, unapologetic. This resonated with their target audience, decidedly less anarchistic but possessing a (perhaps somewhat repressed) wild side that aspirationally identified with the brand.

Your brand's personality is just one facet of its success, but helps to shape and guide the more tangible - from packaging to stockists. It's not an easy journey, but you owe it to your brand to do everything you can to make it a success, even if that means doing things a little differently.

Join us at 2pm on Tuesday, 7th March at the Institute of Brewing & Distilling in London to hear more from drinks branding expert Richard Horwell (Founder and MD of Brand Relations) on what it takes to build a successful craft beer brand.